Homeless headcount needed but difficult

News-Times, The (Danbury, CT)

Published 7:00 pm, Saturday, January 22, 2005

The homeless are like apparitions - some appear in soup kitchens and shelters for an hour or for a night, then disappear into the streetscape. Others drift from place to place, crashing on a friend's couch one night and in their car the next. Still others have such serious mental illness or substance abuse troubles they are not welcome in the shelters.

It often seems like an impossible task to get an accurate count. Still, officials try.

On Wednesday, Danbury and New Milford social service officials lead the effort to get an annual point-in-time survey to give them a sense of how many homeless there are in our communities. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development requires the survey for any municipality wishing to apply for federal funds for housing aimed at ending homelessness.

All of the surveys are anonymous, with the person required only to give their initials, date of birth and gender.

The survey seeks information about the person's family status, whether they are single, married or have children. They are asked what types of community and social services they might require, ranging from domestic violence assistance to mental health and substance abuse help. They are asked whether they need vocational training, and if they have been, or need to be, tested for HIV/AIDS.

They try and pinpoint where these individuals are living: shelters, the street, jail, hotel, hospitals, treatment facilities, or doubled up with family or friends. They seek information about income - whether or not the person is working, is on welfare or has no source of income. They check on how long the person has been homeless, either temporarily or chronically.

New Milford Social Services Director Peg Molina said the hope is to try and get as accurate a picture as possible. The limited time span for the survey makes it certain some will be missed, particularly the families and people who are afraid that they might then be tracked by state or local agencies.

A year ago, New Milford's point-in-time survey, conducted across a week, indicated that the town had 126 homeless individuals representing 70 households, and 63 others who were at risk for homelessness.

To date, the surveys have been distributed to the area shelters, soup kitchens, hospitals, mental health facilities, and other town agencies that deal regularly with the homeless.

If there are those who might be aware of someone who should be counted, Molina said they can contact her office. In Danbury, too, people can contact the city Social Services office.

"This bitter cold helps you think of the needs of the homeless, and hopefully we can raise some awareness,'' Molina said.

New Milford Social Services office can be reached at (860) 355-6079; Danbury's Social Services office can be reached at 797-4569.